Sunday, December 30, 2007

For your entertainment pleasure: Dave Barry's Year in Review. Don't have time to read the entire piece because you have big New Year's plans? (Well, aren't you special...) The highlights:

February. . . when South Florida hosts Super Bowl Roman Numeral. Because of concern over terrorism, security is extremely tight, particularly outside South Beach nightclubs, where large bouncers refuse to let any terrorists inside unless they are really hot. After what feels like three months of pregame festivities, an actual game is played, pitting the Chicago Bears against the Indianapolis Peyton Mannings. What begins as a close contest is broken wide open in the third quarter when the Bears defense is unable to stop a 1993 Buick LeSabre driven by 87-year-old North Miami Beach resident Winifred Bingleman, who took a wrong turn on her way to mah-jongg. She is immediately signed by the Miami Dolphins.

But the biggest story in June, as well as the history of the universe, is the release of the Apple iPhone, which, in addition to enabling you to make phone calls, has all kinds of brilliant and innovative features, including AutoFondle, an application that enables the iPhone to fondle itself during those times when you are unable to fondle it manually because you're sleeping or undergoing surgery from wounds you sustained when friends or co-workers finally lost it and beat you senseless to make you shut up about your freaking iPhone already.

September... In Las Vegas, O.J. Simpson, an ordinary citizen minding his own business and exercising his basic constitutional right to retrieve sports memorabilia from somebody else's hotel room with the aid of armed thugs, somehow runs afoul of the law. He insists he is innocent, but winds up facing trial on robbery and kidnapping charges that could send him to jail for a life term, after which he will undoubtedly be signed by the Miami Dolphins.

Monday, December 24, 2007

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?A bit of both, depending on the awkwardity of the present size. (Yes, I know that's not a real word. It should be.)

2. Real or artificial tree?Love real. Miss real. But learned the hard way our second Christmas in the desert that spending $75 for a real tree is no guarantee it will not become tinder within a week. Had to take said tree down Christmas night before it spontaneously combusted. Bought an artificial the next day and have been using it ever since.

3. When do you put up the tree?Thanksgiving weekend. I have no problem with having decorations up during Advent.

8. Hardest person to buy for?My husband and my father. They receive lots of Packers and Bills stuff for lack of other ideas.

9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Maybe not worst, but funniest. When we were first married Dan went into Lane Bryant looking to buy me some sweaters for Christmas. Dan had no idea Lane Bryant was a plus-size woman's store. He asked the saleswoman, "My wife is 5'7" and weighs 120 pounds - what size would she wear?" Said saleswoman proceeded to sell him several sweaters in size 16/18.

When I returned the sweaters the day after Christmas I called the saleswoman on the carpet for trying to make a quick sale to an unsuspecting husband when she should have pointed him next door to The Limited.

(Explanation for the men who are reading this going, 'huh'? Any woman on the planet could tell you that a 5'7', 120-pound female wears a size 6. Saleslady totally punked Dan. And no, I'm not 120 lbs. anymore. But I am psyched to be at pre-Bittyman weight. Good enough for Diva Mom.)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?This year I'm doing a web card... if I can find time to finish it today.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home?Stay home. Thanksgiving is for traveling.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I've been a professional Christmas Caroler for 11 years. I'll sing them to you.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star?Star.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One Christmas Eve after Mass. The majority Christmas morning. Grandma & Grandpa I's gifts when they arrive on January 5.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of year?The overused, politically correct phrase, 'Happy Holidays'.

22. Best thing about this time of year?Watching Bittyman's head trying not to explode from excitement. And Ittyboy try his darnedest to crawl to get the Christmas tree. And the music. All Christmas music, all the time, from Thanksgiving weekend through the Epiphany!

I tag anyone who is so ready for Christmas that they have time to read this meme! (Me, I'm just procrastinating. Cleaning, wrapping, and website-creating all await me.)

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Sorry blogging has been light during Advent. But between working as a professional Christmas Caroler:Shuttling to rehearsals and performance of our parish's Christmas Pageant:And all the Christmas festivities:We're all ready to settle down for a long winter's nap:

Monday, December 17, 2007

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Please accept this I.O.U. for one professional picture of the boys as their Christmas gift to you. The photo will not arrive by the 25th of December.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Bittyman and the shiner he received when his head collided with the bed frame two days before our scheduled appointment at Kiddie Kandids. (The picture does not do justice to the injury in spite of Bitty's 'tough guy' face.)

Thursday, December 06, 2007

St. Nicholas of Myra (4th century)Nicholas was a priest, an abbot, and a bishop of Myra. Once, he helped a poor family by dropping bags of gold coins in a window, landing in a stocking hung up to dry. Thus, the story of Santa Claus was born. He was known for his holiness, zeal, and astonishing miracles–even raising people from the dead.

Last week's Italian Sausage Egg Bake was a huge hit... with the adults. Not so much with Bittyman. I'll just stick with pancakes for Christmas morning! Speaking of pancakes, this Thursday is the Feast of St. Nicholas and by coincidence Daddy is off. So after opening our stockings, we'll enjoy a hearty leisurely breakfast. That evening we'll be touring an outdoor festival of lights so dinner will probably be of the drive-thru variety afterwards!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

We're heading to the frozen tundra to spend Thanksgiving with Dan's family. There will be a 30F drop in temperature from our desert home to Green Bay. The boys will keep warm playing with the 11 first-cousins who are in the area (the boys already have 19 first-cousins total) and Dan and I will keep warm partaking in some of the fine beverages brewed in Wisconsin. I'll also get to have lunch with K, my Maid on Honor, who I haven't seen since either of us had children.

We hope to return with a Packers win over the Lions and without any traveling horror stories or cold virus'!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Lindsay, the gal who created my fantastic blog template after I won first place in her last Custom Template Giveaway, is in the holiday giving mood! So head on over and enter for a chance to have your blog look as cool as mine! No blog? She also creates custom holiday photo cards at very reasonable rates so check out her portfolio.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Sunday, November 11, 2007

We're heading over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house next weekend to spend Thanksgiving in the frozen tundra. So the goal of this week is a zero grocery bill and to clean out the fridge/freezer. (Helps that Daddy has gigs three nights - Guess which meals are geared towards Bittyman?)

Friday, November 09, 2007

(Well, not enjoying having to turn our AC back on because it was 85F inside the house... and not really enjoying arguing with Bittyman that he should put on a short-sleeved shirt and shorts before walking to the park - and you can see from the picture who 'won' the argument... then not so much enjoying the part where Bittyman complained of being TOO HOT the entire time we were at the park... oh, and finally also not really enjoying much the part about trying to stretch a short-sleeved onesie to fit Ittyboy since he's outgrown all this summer clothes.)

Friday, November 02, 2007

'Tis already the season for Starbucks Holiday drinks! As of yesterday you can order holiday drinks even though they won't 'officially' be advertised until November 8! A very kind Barista shared this tidbit with me today. (Too bad I had already ordered my Tall (nonfat) Cafe Mocha when she divulged this secret!)

Daddy is out of town this weekend so methinks I'll treat myself to a Gingerbread Latte tomorrow... and a Peppermint Mocha after Mass on Sunday!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

After putting on a few miles trick-or-treating then stuffing ourselves silly with miniature candy (and chocolate-flavored Mama's milk in Ittyboys's case), Bittyman, Itty and I all slept in, missing 8:00am All Saints' Day Mass with Daddy.

So Mommy will be attempting 7:00pm Mass with the boys. Not a problem for Bitty who really is an angel in church. (Have I blogbragged that he can now recite the Apostle's Creed? And Father was so impressed by this feat that it became a part of his homily that week?) But 7 is a challenging time for Itty who is usually fighting sleep.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Taken at Sunday's Halloween Festival. Tonight Spiderman and a Pea Pod will be trick-or-treating in our friend's more kid-friendly neighborhood. (Our community is a bust when it comes to handing out candy for some reason.)

Monday, October 29, 2007

Easy week for Mom. Between Halloween trick-or-treating, All Saints' Day Mass Thursday evening and Daddy going out of town Friday morning for the weekend, it's all about quick, easy, and next weekend more dining out than usual as I'll be doing the solo parenting thing for 3 days.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Lots of posting among the Catholic bloggers about Halloween. Ma Beck says everything I'd have written if I wasn't down a few IQ points from pregnancy, childbirth and baby rearing: WardWideWeb: Obligatory Hallowe'en Post

(But we do have one major philosophical disagreement - who the heck eats Butterfingers? My candy d'Halloween was Milky Ways before Bitty received a 'super silver tooth'. Now our house is a sticky-free candy zone. Dark M&M's in our treat bowl. Butterfingers? Oh, the horror!)

Friday, October 26, 2007

Thursday, October 25, 2007

WOW is right! (You said WOW! when you loaded the page, didn't ya?) Is this not the coolest blog template EVER?!?

When I won first place in Splat Creative Designs' contest for a custom blogger template I was just hoping for a cute header in a comic-book font. Actually that's about all the direction I gave Lindsay - I'd like a comic-book theme to go with my blog's title and my two 'superheros' are blond.

Holy cow, Bittyman, did she deliver!

I can not thank Lindsay enough. She is such a super-talented gal! Besides blogger templates she does custom headers, logos, buttons, business cards and much more. So go check out her portfolios and treat your blog to a new and improved look!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Cynthia at Organized Home has begun her free six-week Countdown to Christmas. (WHAT? CHRISTMAS IS IN SIX WEEKS?!? Simma down, now! Take a deep breath. Christmas is NINE weeks from Tuesday.)

The six-week plan will let you enjoy a stress-free Advent season with the goal of completing all your Christmas planning and preparations by the first weekend in December. (Or give you three more weeks to accomplish what you should have done already!)

The weather has FINALLY cooled off enough where I can plan on using my oven each night. (From May through September it's just so darn hot in our part of the country that I only do meals that can be grilled outside, cooked in the Crockpot, or made on the stove top.) So for the next few months I'll be doing casseroles on Monday instead of slow cooker recipes. The Tater Beef Bake is a new recipe from simple & delicious magazine. I'll report next week on its success or failure!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Scroll down to my last post and you'll discover my little men still look like twins birthed four years apart - but fraternal, not identical. Bitty had a lot more hair than Itty, who only now has grown some little blond wisps, and Itty's eyes are a much brighter shade of blue than Bitty's were.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Splat Designs is generously giving away custom blog template designs. So if you're a blogger and would like a fancy new look, check it out!

I really want my blog to have a theme like this. Yeah, how cool would that be? So I either need to win this contest or come up with the funds to pay for a custom job - and sadly there is no budget category for 'Blog Templates' in my Quicken program.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Last week's Saucy Cheeseburger Sandwiches was a new crockpot recipe and a huge hit. (Huge hit defined as a meal where Bittyman asked for seconds!) No new-to-me recipes this week but two family favorites with links included.

Side dishes are a starch and vegetable/salad - whatever I have on hand. So unless it's some fantastic recipe worth blogging about I won't be posting sides on my Menu Planner.

about us image

About Me

A professional singer and dancer for over 20 years, currently performing in my greatest roles: Diva Mom to my Little Heroes 'Bittyman' (10) and 'Ittyboy' (6), wife to Piano Man Dan, and Catholic cantor for our diocese. Dan and I met while both performing on cruise ships (insert Love Boat reference here). We now live on dry land in the southwest.
Why do I blog? To see myself think, to procrastinate from doing laundry and 'cause I'm not crafty enough to scrapbook my son's lives.